This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/065,864, filed Nov. 14, 1997, and is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/732,638 filed Oct. 15, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,067, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/813,919 filed Mar. 7, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,982, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for use in pressure washing. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for safely washing objects with a pressure washer, or similar device, and recovering contaminants from the objects.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Contamination of the environment by man-made substances has been considered a serious problem for a long time. Recently, concern about contamination of earth, air, and groundwater by oil, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous wastes has expanded beyond large-scale industry to encompass the activities of many small businesses including automobile service stations, and many others. Both government regulations and social outcry have placed tremendous pressure on these businesses to avoid discharging hazardous wastes into the environment in the course of ordinary business activities.
Many businesses partake in activities which are likely to produce waste which may be harmful to the environment. For example, in an automobile service station, washing or steam-cleaning auto parts, e.g., an automobile engine, often causes engine oil, gasoline, and other chemicals to enter a storm drain system, or other waterways, thereby leading to the potential contamination of groundwater. In addition, those who service remotely located equipment generally have a need to wash the equipment without discharging hazardous waste into the environment. By way of example, persons who service roof-mounted air conditioners that contain lubricating petrochemicals, trapped pollutants, or other chemicals are not permitted to wash the equipment in a manner that could cause chemicals to run off the roof and into the surrounding environment.
High pressure washing equipment, which is used, for example, to clean auto parts, is generally available. However, many pressure washers do not have containment capability for hazardous materials. Hence, such pressure washers may not prevent hazardous materials from entering the surrounding environment. Some pressure washers may be able to recover some wash fluid, although pressure washers which recover some wash fluid often do not filter hazardous wastes, or do not efficiently filter all hazardous wastes out of the wash fluid. As such, pressure washing systems often generate relatively large volumes of wastewater which must either be processed separately, or placed in barrels for disposal. Further, since such pressure washing systems are often required to handle large volumes of wastewater, the pressure washing systems are not readily moved.
Therefore, what is desired is a portable, zero-discharge wash apparatus which may recover oil, chemicals, and other hazardous materials from an object which is being washed. In addition, what is desired is a wash apparatus which may efficiently recirculate, and repeatedly filter, a washing agent, thereby minimizing the quantity of waste material produced during a washing process. That is, what is desired is a portable, self-contained way to conveniently, efficiently, and safely wash objects, e.g., automobile engines or parts, and recover contaminants from them by providing a controlled water supply to an adjustable pressure washer.
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for removing a contaminant from an object. According to one aspect, a pressure washing apparatus is provided for washing an object having a contaminant including a subfloor assembly for supporting an object to be washed. The subfloor assembly is adapted to direct contaminated fluids which are flowed over the object to remove the contaminant towards a run-off portion thereof. A settling compartment is positioned below the subfloor assembly having a collection end and an accumulation end. The collection end is adapted for fluid communication with the run-off portion for receipt of substantially all the run-off contaminated fluids from the subfloor assembly, while the accumulation end is positioned downstream from and flowably coupled to the collection end through a relatively long first flowpath. The first flowpath is adapted to create a substantially uniform, relatively slow, non-turbulent flow from the collection end toward the accumulation end to separate the relatively lightweight contaminants of the contaminated fluids from the relatively heavyweight contaminants of the contaminated fluids. This uniform and non-turbulent flow enables the light contaminants to substantially rise toward an operational fluid level in the settling compartment while the heavyweight contaminants are caused to substantially settle toward a bottom of the settling compartment during flow along the first flowpath. A pump assembly is arranged to draw and filter fluid from the accumulation end and return the filtered fluid into a separate clean fluid compartment. Finally, the fluid pumped from the clean fluid compartment may be used to wash contaminants from the object and a circulation flowpath defined by the settling compartment promotes the removal of the contaminants from the collected run-off contaminated fluid.
In one embodiment, the first flowpath is generally U-shaped having an upstream leg portion and a downstream leg portion separated by a bight portion therebetween, the accumulation end being positioned proximate a distal end of downstream leg portion while the collection end is positioned along the upstream leg portion. Preferably, the collection end is positioned proximate a distal end of the upstream leg portion.
In another aspect of the present invention, a skimmer assembly is positioned proximate the accumulation end of the settling compartment and in fluid communication with the operational fluid level of the collected fluid in the settling compartment. This skimmer assembly includes a belt device adapted to remove floating lightweight contaminants from a top surface of the collected fluid in the settling compartment.
In still another aspect of this embodiment, the subfloor assembly includes a base frame assembly movably coupled to the settling compartment between an operational position and a maintenance position. In the operational position, the base frame assembly is situated for operational use over the settling compartment, while in the maintenance position, access to the settling compartment is enabled. The subfloor assembly preferably includes a plurality of roller devices mounted to the base frame assembly having pneumatic cylinders selectively movable between a retracted position, when the subfloor assembly is in the operational position, and an extended position. In the extended position, the base frame assembly is rollably supported on the roller devices to enable movement of the base frame assembly between the operational position and the maintenance position.
A modular pressure washing apparatus is also provided for washing an object having a contaminant. The washing apparatus includes a first modular subfloor assembly having a first platform and including a first support floor adapted to direct contaminated fluids which are flowed over the object to be washed to remove the contaminant towards a run-off portion thereof. A second modular subfloor assembly is included having a second platform removably coupled to and positioned adjacent the first platform of the first subfloor assembly. The first platform and the second platform cooperate to form an enlarged washing platform area for supporting the object to be washed thereon. The second subfloor assembly further includes a second support floor adapted to direct collected contaminated fluids towards and into the run-off portion of the first subfloor assembly. A settling compartment is positioned below the first subfloor assembly having an upstream collection end in fluid communication with the run-off portion for receipt of substantially all the run-off contaminated fluids from the first subfloor assembly. The settling compartment further includes an accumulation end, positioned downstream from and flowably coupled to the collection end through a relatively long first flowpath adapted to create a substantially uniform, relatively slow, non-turbulent flow from the collection end toward the accumulation end to separate the relatively lightweight contaminants of the contaminated fluids from the relatively heavyweight contaminants of the contaminated fluids. The light contaminants are caused to substantially rise toward an operational fluid level in the settling compartment while the heavyweight contaminants are caused to substantially settle toward a bottom of the settling compartment during flow along the first flowpath. A pump assembly is arranged to draw and filter fluid from the accumulation end and return the filtered fluid into a separate clean fluid compartment; whereby fluid pumped from the clean fluid compartment may be used to wash contaminants from the object and a circulation flowpath defined by the settling compartment promotes the removal of the contaminants from the collected run-off contaminated fluid.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for washing an object, having a contaminant, with water comprising the steps of: supporting the object over a settling compartment through a subfloor assembly including a support floor having a run-off portion thereof; and passing water over the object to remove the contaminant from the object. The present invention method further includes the steps of directing the contaminated water collected in the support floor toward the run-off portion thereof and into a collection end of the settling compartment; and flowing the collected contaminated water from the collection end to an accumulation end of the settling compartment along a relatively long first flowpath. This flowpath is adapted to create a substantially uniform, relatively slow, non-turbulent flow from the collection end toward the accumulation end. The method further includes the step of separating the relatively lightweight contaminants of the contaminated water from the relatively heavyweight contaminants of the contaminated water. The light contaminants are caused to substantially rise toward an operational water level in the settling compartment while the heavyweight contaminants are caused to substantially settle toward a bottom of the settling compartment by the substantially uniform, relatively slow, non-turbulent flow along the first flowpath. The method further includes the step of drawing and filtering the water from the accumulation end for recirculatory use through the passing step.